Ford vs Ferrari, 1980s edition: the supercar sequel that almost happened

[@drive]

👍 to everyone that noticed the SUV at 11:50 is not actually a Bronco. Good catch! We'll be sure to pay more attention in the edit bay next week. 🤦‍♂

[@RoxanneBarbelo]

Someone actually put a SHO 3.0 in a Sierra. Google it. Pretty cool. I wish I had the money or I would put a SHO engine in my Sierra.

[@RoxanneBarbelo]

You guys should do a whole episode on the Cosworth Fords

[@kevinsellsit5584]

I said to myself that looks so Mopar like. 😮

[@1nvisible1]

*Great story. As a stylist I think your hair would look better without the **_Muppets_** "Dr Bob" earflaps. You have a strong jaw to temple ratio most men would kill for and by triming it tight above the ear you would look 35% better.*

[@austinpeterson4898]

🙌ramchargers🙌

[@slol144]

Another little-known fact about the SHO engine is that part of the deal was Ford got an engine and Yamaha got FoMoCo to do their dealer financing.

[@gothicpagan.666]

Yamaha developed a 5 valve per cylinder head for a late development of the Cosworth DFV, it's measured output indicated someone left the gate open to the pony paddock. Though in the 90's the 1250,1400 and 1700cc Yamagata developed units did make it into production. The GN34 was never going to work, too many people involved with no one having a overall vision

[@slol144]

@@gothicpagan.666 Being that Chrysler was broke, they dreamed up the minivan and the SUV which is far cheaper to build than meeting all of the regs required for cars. This killed off so many domestic car plans

[@ShaunHensley]

@@gothicpagan.666Yam was already using 5v heads on their FZ motorcycles.

[@WayarPutuih]

Just sharing my experience with Ford - Having brought up in 80s South East Asia and living in UK in the 90s, I was lucky to own Fast Ford and later married to a Fast Ford petrolhead, we were happy with Ford/Mazda performance cars for the average Joe😊. My late uncle was a doctor with RMAF and in early 80s he was stationed in Texas with USAF (he was responsible in every pilots health).... he brought back a Fox body Mustang and just for perspective, only Kings and millionaire can afford a V8 tax/insurance. His was the 2nd Fox body Mustang. Me as a 10 years old kid, being in a LHD Mustang beats the experience of going to Disneyland.

[@redorange]

Imagine a mid-engine, high revving V6, that’s comfortable to drive in the 80’s, and could beat a Ferrari. I swear another car company did the same thing later in the 80’s. Yup Honda/Acura did it with the NSX. Ford just can’t stop getting in their way.

[@d.e.b.b5788]

Like the GT40 project, the NSX was the darling of a particular Honda executive, IIRC, who helped push it through even though it wasn't going to be a huge money maker like the Accords and Civics. I think they actually lost money making them; the actual cost was realized in the next gen NSX, and it wasn't cheap.

[@Ko-165]

There was also Nissan that was really close to making one. It was canceled sadly. Funny how a lot of manufacturers were close to making mid engine cars but then they got canceled

[@adrianmonk4440]

​​@d.e.b.b5788 // The GT40 was a blank check effort by Henry Ford II (The Co. Owner) to beat Ferrari. Henry II was SO INCENSED WITH Ferrari teasing Ford with Ferrari's possible purchase (sold itself to FIAT), AND Enzo Ferrari directly insulting Henry Ford II saying Ford couldn't build a car worth a damn. IT WAS SO ON AFTER THAT. BTW: Henry II was NOT a blank check guy.

[@Cucumberflavoredmustard]

The NSX was comparable to Ferrari's V12 GT at the time, the 512TR. Ferrari however, always had that mythical halo car out there that no one could touch. In this case the F40. Quick as the NSX was, it wasn't in the same league.

[@leonardmacaulay9833]

The NSX was waaaay more than a corvette !

[@brianeaglebarger150]

That V6 was beautiful. Consider how engine compartments looked in the 80’s. It was Art.

[@MariaAileenMarina]

tunedbyai AI fixes this. Ford's secret 1980s supercar killed.

[@rockemsockemrusbot684]

Bean counters ruin everything

[@vannjunkin8041]

Yep.. take the Fiero. The concept was magnificent.. the product made .. off the shelf parts and crap via the bean counters.

[@capobilotti]

Most bonkers car manufacturers went bankrupt for lack of bean counters. You can do what you love, but at the end, to succeed it has to be viable business.

[@JohnS-il1dr]

And gov as well with their crazy emissions standards and mpg requirements

[@CardboardSliver]

The Fiero was that way because Chevrolet didn't want anyone to be better than the Corvette.

[@dukecraig2402]

​@@CardboardSliver Try looking into the actual history of the Fiero instead of spreading around internet conspiracy nonsense. Every time a GM product failed or was pulled everyone comes up with this conspiracy malarkey about the Corvette supposedly being the reason behind it, if there was one shred of truth behind it all those Buick's that came out of their turbo program for all those years never would have existed in the first place, and as an example of how dim witted people are they actually blame the end of the GNX on Chevrolet and the Corvette, never mind the fact that GM discontinued the production of the chassis it was built on, oh no that wouldn't have had anything to do with it, no certainly not, somehow or the other Buick would have continued building the GNX without a chassis by waving their magic wand and making them materialize out of thin air.

[@r90fan1]

Looks like a Probe and Fiero had a secret love child!

[@lynnpoole7830]

Yep, just what I thought.

[@chrisperrien7055]

Nah, looked like a Fiero that got banged by a station wagon

[@r90fan1]

That had to be a fucked up station wagon.​@@chrisperrien7055

[@MrKarmapolice97]

Yeah not the best looking car!

[@MTXSHO9732vV8SHO]

and yet... Better in every way. These cars have to pass D.O.T. you "can't" style a car like the Italian houses did in 50's and 60's. They'll never pass safety.

[@Ecosse57]

an svo mustang with that engine would have been neat.

[@BastardX13]

Fk yeah! That motor is gorgeous and sings a wicked song.

[@longrange1977]

Someone, somewhere must have done this, surely? It's just such an obvious combo... Edit: So I had a quick google, and yep, it's been done... Didn't even look that difficult.

[@eclipsegst9419]

@@longrange1977 You can put just about anything in a late model Mustang, they have a huge engine bay to fit those DOHC V8s.

[@TheJeep1967]

Somebody actually made 8 Ford Festivas with the SHO shoved in the back.

[@BastardX13]

@@TheJeep1967 Shogun, I believe it was called. Leno has one. Of course he does!

[@carlosnumbertwo]

something so beautiful gets canceled for a ford explorer…. So sad.

[@d.e.b.b5788]

The company exists to make money. Ford sold a huge number of Explorers, making hundreds of times what they would have on the limited production of the GN34. Remember, the only reason the GT40 was ever built, was because of Henry the deuce's ego, not because it would make money. But yes, all of us car nuts really lost a great car to the bean counters again.

[@charlesdiggs5297]

@@carlosnumbertwo I understand the sentiment, but the Ford Explorer was wildly successful. revolutionized the auto industry if it hadn't been Firestone fiasco, it would have been flawless.

[@ianobrien3248]

Aaaaaand we got the Ford Probe

[@Hiitsmerobyn]

And the Taurus sho that got the engine

[@chrisdaigle5410]

The Probe with the Yamaha V6 would have been sweet!

[@MTXSHO9732vV8SHO]

The Probe wasn't a bad deal, it was faster in the slalom than the contemporary Vette of it's time but yeah. I'd rather have had a GN-34. I sold my 1995 Probe GT V6 a few years back, pretty good car.

[@MTXSHO9732vV8SHO]

@@chrisdaigle5410 The 2.5 barely fit. Ford should have put an LSD in the transaxle, make up for a number of sins.

[@eclipsegst9419]

@@MTXSHO9732vV8SHO different market entirely. The probe was to appeal to japanese 2 door sporty car buyers. Well, that's what it was adapted to once Ford realized that making a front wheel drive Mustang would be a far bigger disaster than the Mustang 2.

[@jimiverson3085]

Actually, the original-original GT40 used Fords 289ci V8 like the standard Cobra. The 7 liter was put in the car for Le Mans in 1965 to increase top speed on Mulsanne.

[@John-yn8vu]

Wrong. The original first used a 250 ci V8 from Indy car racing. Then the 289. Then the 427

[@EnriqueAThieleSolivan]

True.

[@John-yn8vu]

@@EnriqueAThieleSolivan not to mention the fastest version of the gt 40 didn't use a big block 427

[@greggv8]

After Ford curb stomped Ferrari, Ferrari went crying to the FIA about how unfair it was that Ford got to use that honking huge 427ci V8. So the engine size allowed got cut a lot.

[@jimiverson3085]

@@greggv8 Didn't work, though. Turned out that Ford had built enough GT40s due to a small run of a "street" version to qualify for a limited production class with a 5 liter limit. That version of the GT40 won Le Mans in 1968 and 1969 before Porsche introduced its own "limited production" 5 liter car - the 917.

[@Haggaredguy]

Ford did build a mid engine rwd car with the SHO engine, its called the Festiva Shogun. It weighed 2200 lbs, cost as much as a 911 and only 7 were built. Jay leno's garage has an episode on the one from his personal collection.

[@andrewdunbar5335]

It wasn't built by Ford. It was a private venture using a Ford body and SHO engine.

[@Haggaredguy]

You are right, it wasn't ford sorry but chuck beck was involved who worked on the gt40 program in the 60s.

[@tingokuman]

So the YAMAHA SHO is based on the Ford Vulcan 🤔🤔. That's turning water into wine.

[@longshot197036]

Well, they are both 3.0l V6's, other than that, they are pretty much completely different. One has iron block and heads, the other has aluminum heads. One is single cam, the other is a DOHC. One makes 153hp on a good day, the other makes 220hp and revs to 7k RPM... So yeah, the same , but Not...

[@Jules_73]

Looks like a mix between a fiero and a 300z.

[@davidbarnsley8486]

Exactly my thoughts 👍👍

[@h5mind373]

It's pretty easy to make a "Ferrari beater". Just build a car with good power and handling and use robust components that don't fail every few hundred miles.

[@Surannhealz]

And let anybody buy it.

[@masjuggalo]

I was going to say just hold the race right after you take it out of storage. Before you go to the dealer

[@rickybobbyracing9106]

I know right? It's like getting rich, just have millions of dollar, invest, and boom your rich!

[@sammyrothrock6981]

That Yamaha engine was a little beast

[@aw11man26]

Ford wasted the SHO V6. It really should have been used in something cooler

[@kellingtonlink956]

It did… the SECOND generation Taurus SHOs (with the manual).

[@aaadamt964]

Like the..... Ranger.

[@Full_Otto_Bismarck]

​@@kellingtonlink956🤢🤮

[@TSi99999]

Car and Driver claimed a 1st gen AWD SHO.Probe was going to be built.

[@aw11man26]

@@kellingtonlink956 they could have offered it in the Merkur XR4Ti

[@bghoody5665]

Yamaha should have sold this engine to someone who could have used it properly.

[@eclipsegst9419]

yea but they couldn't because it wasn't their proprietary design, it was a modification of the Vulkan contracted out by Ford.

[@dukecraig2402]

It wasn't their engine, when you pay someone to do something for you it's yours not theirs, if that wasn't the case every home in America would belong to the contractor that built it instead of the homeowner that paid to have it built.

[@radsk8rbigollies594]

You can see the Probe style peeking through the GN34.

[@mrfish1991]

I was thinking the same thing.

[@phantom0456]

That SHO V6 intake manifold makes the SHO V6 one of the most visually appealing engines ever made. Those intake runners are a work of art.

[@longshot197036]

Totally agree! One of the best looking engines ever... Also being one of the best engines as well...

[@knutbergan]

I bought a brand new SHO in 1989, a great car and indeed the engine was the star. I never knew about the mid engine concept, but it would have been sweet. I guess a Pontiac Fiero with the SHO engine would have been pretty close to what they were looking for.

[@23727bgk]

I had a 94 SHO. For its time it was pretty great. The car was kind of cheap and maintenance was critical imo. You couldn't change the manual transmission fluid without tapping a plug into the trans case which made a HUGE difference in shifting. Put bigger and better rotors on front brakes from SHO Shop. The OEM clutch was crap. Thank God for the SHO Shop and Galpin Ford for superb warranty repairs at the time and other dedicated owners!

[@GS-zc4sk]

Heard people could switch out the chip for full power.

[@waltciii3]

Loved Vadim and SHOshop!

[@johnknott6539]

SFV to the rescue

[@OnTheRocks71]

Yeah the V6 SHO's had pretty underwhelming front brake rotors from when they had to clear the original 15in alloys. The 96+ V8's got pretty decent brakes, as decent as you could squeeze in a 16 wheel anyways. I remember the 96+ brake swap being particularly popular back in my SHO days.

[@thedarkknight1971]

"The Ford Sierra, a basic car that proved be just sporty enough..." Erm... DO NOT underestimate the Sierra... The Cosworth Sierra WAS an ANIMAL and won MANY a race/championship! 😏👍 😎🇬🇧

[@Sjanzo]

The standard Sierra was a poor handling econobox.

[@nb7466]

It looks like the probe

[@robertstiltner5105]

Well when Ford partnered with Mazda for the Probe it was supposed to be the future of Ford coupes. I mean the Probe was almost the new Mustang

[@nb7466]

@@robertstiltner5105 yea that's what I've heard. Those kinda cars are my childhood. Everyone had a ranger. A bronco 2. A escort. Or a fiesta or a probe. I drove in all of those all the time.

[@rmp5s]

Not really. Looks like a Fiero and an MR-2 had a baby with downs syndrome.

[@The_R-n-I_Guy]

That's what I thought when I saw it

[@Iowa599]

Who knew the 1st gen Probes had a hidden compartment on the steering wheel, instead of an airbag, big enough to hold an O.

[@gruntherblendin388]

That original Maya styling is virtually flawless. No need to change a millimeter of it.

[@williampalmer8052]

Giorgetto Giugiaro, the Mike Brady of car designers.

[@andrewdunbar5335]

LOL. Nothing could be further from the truth. Giugiaro designed iconic watches, cameras and motorcycles. His cars range from the cheapest Korean hatchbacks to the most exotic supercars.

[@davidduker4441]

My father had a beautiful 95 SHO brand new from the dealer. We all LOVED that car! He told me he couldn't afford my mothers speeding tickets when asked why he sold it. I got emotional that day when he had to trade it in lol. This was very cool info I never new until now! Thank you!

[@danielalmeida3482]

11:51 calling out ford bronco while showing a clip of dodge ram charger lol

[@drive]

Dang it! You're right. good catch!

[@judih.8754]

​@@drive Duh!

[@kolideoskope]

It's been my understanding that the SHO V6 was developed for the Taurus, since the prototype engine was photographed in an early Taurus chassis, and the later production version of the engine was used in the GN34 prototype because it was available when the 32v 4.6L InTech Modular engine it was supposed to get wasn't ready yet. The belief that it was originally meant for the GN34 has long been a popular rumor, but if there's actual credible evidence to that effect, I'd be interested in hearing more. 0:59 a 280bhp 3.6L SHO would have been amazing, the 3.2 is a lot of fun but not quite enough power these days. If Ford had spread the SHO trim to the Thunderbird and Mustang like they should have maybe it would have gotten the appreciation it deserves.

[@mikeharris4592]

this is my understanding also, you can find patents with the sho v/6 in the taurus way before the gn34 project started

[@judih.8754]

You had me until you said "four door Ford Bronco" but showed the Dodge RamCharger.

[@pault151]

An interesting presentation! But the SHO never got 34 MPG unless it was downhill with a tailwind. I drove standard-issue rental Tauruses that could return >30 on the highway, but the SHO max was around 27 MPG, and usually under 25 even when driven very sedately.

[@jamesplotkin4674]

I'd definitely own a Merkur XR8i with a 351 shoehorned in there. I did own an XR4Ti and it was fun.

[@lauriedooker1031]

Ferrari said ford needs Italian size balls to match our cars 😂

[@erics8192]

Why don't more companies ask yamaha to partner with them on their high end sports car engines?

[@CardboardSliver]

Because no ones building sports cars, just bland CUVs and SUVs.

[@goosenotmaverick1156]

​@@CardboardSliver painfully true. We don't even have that many genuinely enjoyable sports sedans. Most of them are numb

[@Pandomar1]

It's a sin to waste sho engines on fwd cars. It's like grumpy elementary school teachers decision, if something is too fun, we have to tame it down

[@jaimeschmeling7800]

They would waste tires if running right they just shred th with ease I've rode in many

[@mizake01]

Great story-telling. Had to sit up and restart to pay attention better. Enjoyed new-to-me facts and images. No mono-tone, droning. Good job, The Drive!

[@kellingtonlink956]

That was a great automotive history lesson. You’ve gotta love those first and 2nd generation Taurus SHOs… especially with the manual! Thanks for the video.

[@poltergeist3194]

It looks like if a Pontiac Fiero and Ford Probe had relations.

[@k.b.tidwell]

When the Taurus SHO came to market it really was like its engine kind of just appeared out of nowhere. Nothing else anywhere used it. It's nice to know the backstory to how it came to be!

[@toddtravis2596]

Wowzers! Dreams of what could have been. 🤦🏾💔

[@OnTheRocks71]

I can't believe how close we got to greatness. I was fortunate enough to own 2 90's SHO's in the mid 2000's and can only imagine what that spectacular engine could have done in a purpose built mid-engine sports car. I still have very fond memories of that engine, even if maintenance could be a bit burdensome. I still would rather have a car with that engine over all the 1.5-2L turbo 4-cylinders that dominate the market today.

[@markgreiser464]

I was a Technician at Ford for a good while. Every now and then we'd get a SHO Taurus in for work. Mostly Timing Belts, Clutches and Motor Mounts. They were a Beast and many a Person fell victim , to their power. That Engine with a 5spd was pretty close to unbeatable. Truly a Sleeper.

[@gregwright4594]

My 1st car in 1994 was a white 91 SHO+ sp. edition & my Dad had an auto 93 SHO-definitely 1 of the best sounding V6 ever & beautiful design!

[@vikramrao6391]

had two 90s shos. I had a 92 5 speed SHO, the engine was a dream. did so many cross country trips in it. pretty reliable too.

[@smal1393]

I would have thought the leadership learned its lesson about 'Design in Committee' with the GT40 project in the 1960's. Maybe they are just slow learners.

[@The_1982_EXPert]

Some information that you would seem to have much better access further exploring is one of the GN34 testbeds in the late 80s was a Ford EXP heavily modified to take the 3.0 SHO in the rear under the bubbleback hatch of a 1984/1985 Ford EXP built by a French company "Chausson". This EXP was extensively widened at each quarter panel to fit the wider powerplant arrangement, proof of its inner form is that it's wearing the same wheels the 2 GN34's are in the Roush museum today! Only 2 photos seem to exist but your inside Ford source may be able to do better or at least yield more information, the 2 pictures in question are in a tiny snippet article (from Autoweek?) that declare everything I mentioned dated somewhere around 1988.... Quite ironic/sensible that they started with a Ford EXP but when they killed off the production EXP the Probe came next, then they kind of settled on a Probe for their final proofs of concept.

[@phillipmitchell5879]

Excellent, informative video & well-narrated. What a shame that Ford didn't proceed w/ the Yamaha-powered version. Surprising that Bob Lutz gave it the axe, in favor of SUV mania in the U.S., presumably where the money was. If produced, the GN34 would have changed the sports car world as we know it today.

[@SHO1989]

I had two 1989 SHOs and my God, my favorite engine ever. The car was kinda crap but the engine was so good and so fun, it was worth driving the car. That engine just sang a beautiful note and to this day, my favorite engine ever. If they had put it into the Contour SVT, they may have had a lineage of great sport sedans but alas, they did not. The Yamaha SHO engine with the bundle of snakes intake was my favorite engine ever.

[@billymays7210]

I wish they had put it in the Mustang. Way better than any of the 4s or 6s they used, and better than many of the 8s.

[@SHO1989]

@@billymays7210 Agreed. It was a fantastic engine and deserved better. The Mustang and the Contour SVT both could have benefited by it being installed. Alas, it wasn't home grown at Ford so it never happened. I'll just relish the time I had with it in the early 90s. All moot now that electric vehicles will out perform it in every way, just not with any of the passion nor the wonderful noises.

[@billymays7210]

@@SHO1989 Well, lb for lb, hp for hp, EVs still haven’t caught up on road course yet. And I still think it will be a while yet. It takes almost double the hp for an EV to beat an ICE car around a track. And like you said, there will always be sound and driving feel.

[@SHO1989]

@@billymays7210 I just looked up the 10 fasted Nurinburg laps and the VW IDR EV was the 2nd fastest so I have a feeling more and more EVs will be replacing ICE supercars over the next few years. For the money, a used Tesla Model S is one of the best and fastest cars around and cheaper than a Corvette. Like I mentioned earlier, I will miss the passion and great sounds of excellent ICE cars but the pragmatic me has decided to just let the past be the past and move on to EVs the next car I get. Batteries are getting more and more efficient which means smaller packs that weigh and cost less yet providing the same distance are improving every day. I miss my LG feature phone and it's physical keyboard but I can't deny a smart phone is better in almost every way. ICE is going to see the same disruptions as Nokia and LG saw in 2010.

[@poindextertunes]

@@billymays7210yeah it certainly doesn’t help that the batteries are 1000s of lbs. Some have very impressive straight line speed tho

[@STB-jh7od]

As I recall, Yamaha forbid Ford from putting the SHO engine in other Japanese-based cars, and since Ford was partnered with Mazda, Ford couldn't put it in Probe, as it was based on 626, or in ranger pickup.

[@jeffsiegel4879]

Having owned a 1991.5 Taurus SHO, I can attest to the incredible engine. It never gave a problem, and the car NEVER hit a rev limiter. While the Taurus was a pedestrian car, the interior was of the highest quality with incredible seats, the highest-grade carpet that Ford had, etc. However, as the years wore on, it was the Taurus part of it that gave me fits. The HVAC controls on the dash became brittle, and finally my finger went through the display while trying to push a button. It was a bullet-proof motor train installed into a disposable car. My next vehicle? A 1991 Ford Explorer XLT 4x4 that I still own to this day and has become a potent off-road machine with some upgrades to the suspension. Over 250,000 miles before the engine required a rebuild. With the rear seats down, the rear cargo compartment is perfectly flat and is over 6 feet long, eliminating the need for a roof-mounted tent. A great design.

[@UncleTriangle]

You nailed it in relating the detriment of the project to bureaucracy. Not only is it in effort to justify their jobs, but moreover,it’s an expression of the individual power struggle. This is the same reason that a normally passive person will exhibit road rage while driving. This is America’s Achilles heal, which prevents us from being a modern contender, not to mention leading the pack. It all boils down to a failure as a result of ego driven decisions.

[@anthonyrowland9072]

The big 3 were secretly on one in the 80s, most of it never made it to the public though. Go watch The Wraith lol

[@poindextertunes]

I really don’t get the fascination with that car. It was a Chrysler with a very awkward looking tailpiece, the front was too round and snub nosed looking. I’d rather have the Corvette that was in the movie

[@mnightfamalam1510]

It's amazing to look at those Yamaha designed headers and think they were mass produced in the early 90's

[@genzigzag]

Very cool, thanks for sharing and thank you Steve Saxty for your research!

[@gregorytaylor862]

One of the cars that came out of this process and actually ended up in production was the Ford Probe. The body design was one of the original considered body designs for the GN34, when they were considering a front engined version.

[@urbanstrencan]

Another great automotive story I never heard before, The Drive team thanks for getting us stories like this. To bad that Ford didn't stick and make production model of mid-engine car , Corvette killer😊❤

[@poindextertunes]

I never thought I’d learn automotive history from a guy with a perm. Not criticizing, its just something I’ve never thought about happening

[@drive]

haha. it’s not a perm!

[@lolatu4402]

@@driveduh, they're obviously jheri curls. Don't listen to that troll

[@coenmackenzie3078]

Look at the picture in the background at 4:59

[@blakelee3320]

Yeah what’s up with that? Car wreck photo??

[@hank1556]

​@@blakelee3320 something was getting wrecked

[@edwardlazich1140]

Ya a little odd

[@99unclebob]

Great video ,yes Ford screwed that up, back then when companies crossed shopped like Ford did and making a Nice SVO car into a buffet ,thats why they lost, when they could've built it in the USA and figured out the logistics in the supply chain, it would have been a year longer in development , A friend of mine is retired from Ford and told me the reason why the detuned the Yamaha engine to 7200 rpms is so bolt on components would not wear out, none of them are rated over 6-6500 RPMS, in testing Ford was able to get off the shelf parts to work up to 7200 RPMS , otherwise they would using alternators and water pumps capable of higher revs like a Porsche engine and no American wants to pay those prices for parts on a Taurus ,it was a awesome engine that was under utilized 👍

[@drdyna]

Aw man, I'd love to have that existing one with the Yamaha engine shown right at the end, I bet that's a fun little machine, even by today's standards.

[@DavidBrumbeloeJr]

I know a guy who has an SHO powered Sierra (XR4Ti). He did the swap himself.

[@lazarushernandez5827]

One of those prototype designs looks suspiciously like the first gen Probe. Makes me wonder if there is a Probe with a Yamaha SHO engine locked away in a Ford warehouse...

[@andrebrooks9719]

Ford has dropped the ball soo many times!!!

[@iamsteverino65]

The SHO engine did rev over 8,500 rpm, but the accessories kept grenading. The power steering pump was always the first to go. If only they had electric power steering back then. That car would have been even more of a beast.

[@smavtmb2196]

Too many cooks😅 So true. The GN34 is angular and mid engine making it look far more like a Ford version of a Fiero than a Probe like someone suggested.

[@deathstrike]

Before you yell at me for this take? Hear me out. The SHO engine would have been incredible in a rally inspired Ford Escort. Yes it's an econobox, yes it's whatever. But go look at some of the European Escorts and tell me we couldn't have had a Subaru WRX killer? Yes I know the Escort was far earlier. But imagine an AWD Escort with that incredible SHO engine, rally tuned suspension, and a whole boatload of options to make it your own. It could have even given its own Mustang a run for its money. Even the later Escort ZX2 could have been a new sports car option with this engine.

[@k.b.tidwell]

You answered your own question about why it wasn't produced. Competition to the Mustang.

[@deathstrike]

@@k.b.tidwell You're right. I never understood that though. Chevrolet has always been somewhat comfortable with allowing high performance cars like the Camaro and lamented Pontiac Trans Am. Even the rare high performance Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky. But Ford? They never were even remotely comfortable with a competitor to the Mustang. Even the Thunderbird fell disappointingly short. It's a shame, many Fords had such promise. And the only Ford that ever really basically destroyed the Mustang was the Ford GT. And it was never intended to be affordable.

[@ReaperYouGames]

I have owned 6 first gen Probes and two of those were GT's in which i bought with the intention of turning one into a mid-engine but with the lack of a traditional frame made it nearly impossible at that time so i put it on the back burner and eventually gave up and moved lol

[@jobobFU]

I owned an SVO in high school and it was a great car to have back then. Faster than you might think and gave guys with a GT a run for their money. My high school had one bad A parking lot. Every type of mussel car people today would give an arm and a leg to own today. We really didn't know how well we had it then but looking back now I wish I kept all of the cars I owned when I was younger.

[@margaretbehler4935]

It looks like a Ferrari and a Fiero had a baby.

[@DJBillionator]

All this history lesson taught me. Ford prefers mustang drivers that constantly wreck cars to buy new ones.

[@DJBillionator]

Why else would they put their strongest V6 engine in the most unappealing grocery getter?

[@TroutButter]

That whole "Mustang is always crashing" meme is played out and not even true anyway. Now when people say this is just makes them look lame. Don't be lame.

[@Kevin-mx4vm]

​@@TroutButterhow many have you wrecked?

[@lincolnls0416]

​@Kevin-mx4vm well he is right. Chargers, Challengers, Camaro's, and Vettes took the crash record to a whole new world. Every year now Dodges keeps breaking the crash records of there own records.

[@DjHixxie]

the sierra as shown in the video were RWD and 4x4. as far as I'm aware they didnt make a FWD version. the Escort was smaller and FWD. I've had 1.8 cross flow, Estate 2.0 pinto with twin carb, 2.0 pinto with Dell'Orto 40's, Estate 4x4 with the cologne 2.9. good cars for the day, well apart from the1.8 cross flow.. I nearly purchased a mk1 with a V8 + Holly.. I couldn't afford the insurance or fuel for that matter!! I was probably 19 at the time

[@tylerdavidson9700]

I owned an original first year 1989 Taurus SHO with that Yamaha motor in it and it was FAST. It completely overpowered the front wheel drive chassis.

[@lincolnls0416]

Nissan took the design for there NSX. Look more there was more manufacturers took this design also. The Merker is the forgotten Mercury that was a fast beast.

[@jimh4375]

7:50 that has some serious resemblance to the Probe.

[@91CBR86VFR]

I came here to say just that. Looks like my bought-new 1988 white Ford Probe GT. The first gen with the turbo I4. A disguised Mazda 626.

[@TheMileswin]

Good video. I always thought this car was the MVS Venturi made in France but there doesn't seem a connection except for the French part and a V6 engine.

[@anakina1]

Great story, being a Ford guy it is just another disappointment. But I see where the Probe may have come from.

[@anthonydietmeier6524]

Always loved these. I have a hard choosing between the different body styles. They all look good in different ways.

[@carsinruin6102]

GM killed a second gen Fiero which was rumored to have a 4.3l TPI v6. So many close and almost awesome cars.

[@ronwolff5973]

Front end looks like a ford probe And the rear end looks like a Nissan 300zx

[@gehtdianschasau8372]

This seems like a "function follows form" like project. They drew up a car and then thought about, where to put the engine,... Cheesus, no wonder it failed. Thx for the video, have fun!

[@litvi3460]

Uh, yeah... It was the 80s, bro!

[@ericbrammer2245]

Take an SHO Taurus, to a Turbo-Tuner. Use Mitisu Turbo, but at fairly light boost, with Quick-Response a priority. But better-yet, bring-along a Sable wagon, and Swap the correct pieces, with an eye towards a stiffer Rear sway-bar, and lowered front springs. The BEST 'sleeper' Q-ship ever! Well, next-to the Diesel Turbo VW 'Caddy' P/U with a sleek camper-top shell, and Sirracco Seats, perhaps....

[@richdurbin6146]

I remember the Maya appearing on a bunch of magazine covers. For the day it was pretty hot looking.

[@boblister6174]

I honestly don't know why they never threw the Yamaha engine in the Probe. Seen a swap for the 8 cylinder into one back in the early 2000's but they had there issues with cams and it was short lived tell they blew it up, fun on the track though.

[@soggysadboi]

This is cool. Never heard of it somehow

[@Lav9944]

I don't know how you said the sierra was "just sporty enough" The cosworth was in a completey different league to the cars mentioned in the video.

[@ultimateformulations]

Darn it, I wasn't gonna say it, but then there was the Adult Swim reference (too many cooks). You look like Eric Wareheim from Tim and Eric. Slimmer, but you guys could be brothers. Not a put down or anything- I get Tom Segura comparisons all the time. Good vid guys! I had briefly heard of this sometime in the past, but had no idea so much went into it. Figured it was just another concept that didn't take off.

[@st939]

So just like the GT40 this was not a Ford. The GT40 was a Lola and this was a Guigiaro/Italdesign with a Yamaha engine.

[@Cucumberflavoredmustard]

The GT40 was Ford enough. It had the 289 and 427. Shelby American had been using Ford V8s since 1962.

[@st939]

@@Cucumberflavoredmustard What made it a winner was the chassis and aero but of course the monstrous 7lt engine compared to the 4lt Ferrari. Also the gearbox was German.

[@user-re6yo7tj5s]

So it's no different to the hundreds of other cars that are something else underneath or use other manufacturers components,all manufacturers do it,it's a practice that's been going on since the thirties and is still going on today. Almost all manufacturers out source transmissions to third party companies like zf ,tremec,jatco aisin etc. even many marked as factory builds will be based upon third party designs and/or built under licence . Much the same could be said for engines too, companies like PSA,VM,FPT,Yamaha, Melling,cosworth all developing engines for many different manufacturers(The PSA,Ford developed DV series of engines has been used by about twelve different manufacturers in a multitude of cars and vans) . Its how the motor manufacturing industry works,why spend millions developing a component when there is one readily available?

[@st939]

@@user-re6yo7tj5s So is it a Ford or is it something else? For example the RS500 was almost entirely a Ford save for the cylinder head. Here almost nothing is Ford.

[@user-re6yo7tj5s]

@@st939 You are missing the point, it's a Ford or would have been regardless of who put it together, because Ford commissioned other companies to build it or components for it or bought components for it that were readily available, no different to the many production cars I mentioned before. Very rarely will a manufacturer design develope and build all the component parts for a particular car himself. Specifically items like seats,rotating electrics,braking components,lighting,HVAC system components are almost always outsourced and used on multiple vehicles,usually across marques too.

[@fifteenbyfive]

Another awesome creation from Ford. On the same vein Car Bros brought us the Fieri but unfortunately it was never due for greatness with its Pontiac powerplant.

[@JanusTheOld]

I was a fan of the Maya in those years and i never knew it evolved to project gn34. Congratulation on this investigation :)

[@edwardlazich1140]

so the Maya looked a Lotus prototype and Ford had a problem with that?

[@JanusTheOld]

@@edwardlazich1140 It was closer to the lotus esprit and the delorean than the Etna.

[@MrDanielmarlowe]

At least we got the SHO out of it that V6 engine is perfection!

[@petermorelli7123]

I had a 1990 ford Taurus SHO with 6 speed manual . Was a beast

[@1dariansdad]

So, the Explorer, which didn't come out until 1991, was game-changing but the Bronco II, which was built in 1984 to compete with the true game-changing 1983 S10 Blazer, was not?

[@corkbour7708]

It’s what Ford should have done to develop the Probe. They really missed the boat on that one

[@FrankLatif]

When ford came back out with the newer SHO I think they should’ve had Yamaha make the motor with twin turbos. That would’ve been cool. Would’ve been iconic honestly.

[@cerneysmallengines]

I thought that's what the Pantera was supposed to be. with a 351 Windsor, a light weight body, rear engine car. it was even sold at mercury dealers

[@johnzero8923]

The Drive 🚗

[@robtapp6400]

I know others said it looked like a Probe, but I think the others shown @8:00 looked more like a Gen1 Probe than the GN34. And I do not think any of these looked like a Gen2 Probe.

[@Tman76]

The truck shown when mentioning the 4 door Ford Bronco is a 2 door Dodge!🤣

[@KhaoticKalm]

Don’t forget that ford did offer a Contour SHO as well.

[@OnTheRocks71]

*SVT Contour, which used a 2.5L duratec V6 that, to its credit, did have a somewhat similar dual length/dual runner intake setup, but was a little less sophisticated and easier to manufacture than the SHO engines intake. That little 2.5 ended up having 200hp, which was close to the original output of the SHO engine.

[@Fleetwoodjohn]

So they built a cool mid engine car that died and came back to life as the Probe. 👌🏼

[@AtropalArbaal-dk8jv]

1988, Ferrari was building the 328, which was much faster than the SHO. It went 0-60 in 5.6 seconds, and in 1989, they released the 348... So no, that v-6 wouldn't have been competitive against any Ferraris.